If they can get SDSU back from the BE, and add Tulsa and UTEP that leaves only:BYU, Utah, SMU, Rice, TCU (Boise, Utah State, and Nevada are three new schools which I say replace Utah, TCU, and BYU, two of which definitely won't come back and I don't think BYU will either).

So that only leaves SMU and Rice to get to 16. SMU and Houston could be lured from the Big East I bet! Solid conference that would probably get the non big 5 AQ most years.

If I'm the MWC I'm selling stability. The Big East is not stable but the MWC is (ironically) IF BSU and SDSU come back. IF that happens no school would leave the MWC for the Big East and the power conferences aren't interested. The PAC12 is looking at the Big 12, the Big 12/SEC/BigTen are looking at the ACC, the ACC is looking at the Big East, and they are looking at the MWC and CUSA. Remove the MWC from that equations and their pretty safe for awhile.

I'd even push it a step further and start talking with SMU and Houston about joining the conference, selling the TCU angle and how they succeeded and made it into the Big 12. And hey IF BYU wants to come back (be it all sports or fb only to balance out Hawaii) basically tell Houston and SMU that they can pick the 16th conference-mate that helps them with travel or just anyone they like (Tulsa, UTEP, Rice, NMSU, Tulane...basically anyone but Idaho).

Bringing back the 16 member WAC (MWC) is brilliant so long as it can make as much money for Houston/SMU/Boise/San Diego St as the New Big East. With the proposed line up of the New Big East and its stability this might not be a bad idea. I think the 3 leading candidates for spots 15 and 16 (this is assuming BYU says no) are UTEP, Tulsa, and UTSA:

Pod 1--Hawaii, San Jose St, San Diego St, Fresno St

Pod 2--Nevada, UNLV, Boise St, Utah St

Pod 3--Wyoming, Colorado, Air Force, New Mexico

Pod 4--SMU, Houston, 2 of: UTEP/UTSA/Tulsa

I suppose Tulane could maybe even be in consideration too. Surprisingly, it will be Houston and SMU who have the power to call the shots here and not Boise. If they want to go the MWC Boise St and San Diego St will have no choice but to follow. The question is would SMU and Houston want to? The set up they have in the Big East with their old C-USA buddies isn't terrible but it has to be frustrating for those two proud Texas institutions to have to take orders from Providence and deal with those 7 pesky basketball schools.

Not to sound like a broken record, but it would be foolish for any MWC to sign on the Big East after the current round of defections. An all-sports coast-to-coast conference is an awful idea and football-only membership is simply not good enough. Why join an unstable conference whose members are scrambling to get out that is based on the other side of the country when you can play hardball with them and force their Western flank to join your stable conference whose geography is far more suitable for your institution and your student athletes?

Playing hardball should, at a minimum, result in coaxing Boise St and San Diego St back. If everything goes right, it will get the MWC back into Texas and, if the stars align just right, get BYU back in the mix.

Not to sound like a broken record, but it would be foolish for any MWC to sign on the Big East after the current round of defections. An all-sports coast-to-coast conference is an awful idea and football-only membership is simply not good enough. Why join an unstable conference whose members are scrambling to get out that is based on the other side of the country when you can play hardball with them and force their Western flank to join your stable conference whose geography is far more suitable for your institution and your student athletes?

Playing hardball should, at a minimum, result in coaxing Boise St and San Diego St back. If everything goes right, it will get the MWC back into Texas and, if the stars align just right, get BYU back in the mix.

I disagree with a national conferences being a negative. Sure, you want the ideal members, like when we discussed a Big12 breakup and a potential Big East (with WVU, TCU, Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers, Louisville) with the top MWC schools.

But for an ALL-SPORTS conference, there is no doubt that combining what would be:

The top CUSA schools...now all in the Big East...UCF (Orlando)SMU (Dallas)HoustonTulane (New Orleans)Memphis

With the last of the BE...Uconn (CT/NY)Temple (Philly)CincinnatiUSF (Tampa)

With some of the best from MWC...Boise St. (national at this point)SDSU (San Diego)UNLV (Las Vegas)New Mexico (ABQ)Fresno St. (Fresno)BYU (SLC) or Nevada (Reno)

And then include for #16, either ECU for all-sports, or advance to the Boston/MA market with UMass.

Split into 8/8 and still have room for ECU as FB only in the east, Navy FB only in the west for 18 FB members.

That conference would have a TV contract that would top CUSA, MWC, Sun Belt and MAC combined. Very little doubt about that since this conference would comprise all the best programs from CUSA and MWC WITH the remaining 4 BE schools which are Big East schools because they were chose OVER CUSA schools from the past when the BE had a chance to add more.

As a FB only option with a 10/6 split (6 FB only members)...I agree, it's a mess. To get the fans interested (TV viewers) there really is a benefit to having these guys play in basketball and football to build rivalries...especially if on national TV.

You get your FB and BB TV contract. You then have your Tier 3 rights for a new network, online option, or selling to local networks. For instance, Fox Sports local affiliates might want programming. You also have NBC Sports (CSN) networks that would take programming in their regions.

Depending on which message board you read, you see the Big East schools wanting a myriad of different MWC schools.

BYU (former MWC school) national fan base, other sports in WCC, great fb/bbAir Force strong fb, national fan base great to pair w/ Navy.Fresno strong fb tradition with a foothold in a large market state.UNLV strong market with good bball.New Mexico same as UNLV just less sexy.Nevada growing fb tradition, midsize market.Colorado St if no AFA would be a solid add in a growing market.Utah St poor man's Utah/BYU near SLC market, growing fb program good bball.Hawaii easy addition, sports already in Big West also history of fb success.San Jose St growing fb, great market in Bay Area

The only school routinely not mentioned is Wyoming which is likely due to their lack luster performance and weak market (even counting the entire state).

The ironic thing is that BYU has turned down the Big East time and time again, but if you add Boise St, SDSU, Houston, and SMU to the mix that conference would be more attractive to BYU than the nBE and have a better chance of getting them to rejoin even if its just as a fb only for the BCS access.

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